Chapter 5 - The College Fund
I drove to the bank the next morning.
Michael had always handled investments.
I handled the day-to-day bills.
That arrangement suddenly felt less like teamwork and more like blindness.
The banker, a woman named Denise, pulled up the accounts.
Her expression changed.
“Mrs. Andrews, are you aware the education account was closed last year?”
“No.”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Your husband was an authorized custodian.”
“How much?”
“Seventy-six thousand four hundred and twelve dollars.”
My chest tightened.
“All of it?”
“Yes.”
I sat there gripping the edge of the desk.
“For a condo?”
“I can't see where it went after withdrawal.”
“I can.”
I stood.
Outside, I called Tom.
“He took the kids' college money.”
There was a long silence.
Then Tom said, “Rachel paid for furniture.”
“What?”
“I found receipts on the phone. Twelve grand. Sofa. Bed. Dining set.”
I closed my eyes.
My children had gone without summer camp that year because Michael said we needed to “tighten up.”
Meanwhile, he and Rachel had bought a bed.
I almost threw up in the parking lot.
When I got home, Michael's car was in the driveway.
He was sitting at the kitchen table.
“You changed the locks?” he asked.
“No.”
“Then why did my key not work?”
“Because I had them changed this morning.”
His face hardened.
“You can't lock me out of my own house.”
“Watch me.”
He stood.
“Sarah, you're spiraling.”
I placed the bank statement on the table.
His face went still.
“You took our kids' college fund.”
“I borrowed it.”
“For a condo.”
“It was an investment.”
“With Rachel?”
He rubbed his jaw.
“It wasn't supposed to become this.”
“What was it supposed to become?”
He looked at me.
And finally, for the first time, he stopped lying.
“A way out.”
I felt something inside me go cold.
“A way out of what?”
May you like
He answered softly.
“Us.”
